U.S. patent number 4,161,943 [Application Number 05/795,470] was granted by the patent office on 1979-07-24 for needle implanting apparatus.
Invention is credited to Paul Nogier.
United States Patent |
4,161,943 |
Nogier |
July 24, 1979 |
Needle implanting apparatus
Abstract
An apparatus for implanting magnetized or magnetizable needles,
which apparatus comprises a tubular body, means to support a flat
needle of small dimensions, made of a magnetizable metal, and means
to drive the said needle into the tissues. A permanent magnet,
taking the form of a substantially circular flat tablet is inserted
in closed end of the body with one of its sides exposed outwardly
of same. When the needle has been implanted, it may be magnetized
or remagnetized as often as required by merely applying the exposed
side of the tablet against the tail of the needle. In a
modification the body of the apparatus is provided with a
socket-like protecting cap and the tablet is inserted in the closed
end of this cap, the needle supporting means being so arranged that
the tip of the needle is situated close to the said closed end of
the cap in order to be already magnetized by the tablet before the
needle is implanted.
Inventors: |
Nogier; Paul (Lyon,
FR) |
Family
ID: |
9173640 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/795,470 |
Filed: |
May 10, 1977 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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May 19, 1976 [FR] |
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76 15861 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
600/12;
606/189 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61N
2/00 (20130101); A61H 39/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61H
39/00 (20060101); A61H 39/08 (20060101); A61N
2/00 (20060101); A61B 017/52 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/1.3,2.1C,329A,217 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Yasko; John D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dowell and Dowell
Claims
I claim:
1. In an apparatus to introduce intra-dermal needles in the
tissues, said apparatus including a body, supporting means carried
by said body to support a needle made of a magnetizable material,
and means to push said needle beyond said body to implant same into
the tissues, the improvement in said apparatus comprising a
permanent magnet fixed to said apparatus on an exposed surface
thereof by means of which the implanted needle may be magnetized
and remagnetized as often as required.
2. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said body including a
portion of tubular shape with a closed end, said permanent magnet
being in the form of a substantially circular flat tablet with
first and second sides and with at least one pole on said first
side, and said tablet being secured to said closed end with said
first side being exposed outwardly of said body.
3. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2, said closed end having
inner and outer sides, said outer side comprising said exposed
surface and being formed with a depression, and said tablet being
disposed in said depression.
4. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1:
said body being of tubular shape with an open end;
said apparatus further including a socket-shaped cap to close said
open end of said body when said apparatus has not yet been used,
with said cap having a closed end;
said permanent magnet being in the form of a substantially circular
flat tablet with first and second sides and with at least one pole
on each of said sides, and said tablet being secured to said closed
end of said cap with said first side being exposed outwardly of
said cap;
said needle having a tip and a tail portion retained by said
supporting means;
and said supporting means being so arranged in said body that when
said apparatus has not yet been used the tip of said needle is
close to the closed end of said cap to be magnetized by said
tablet.
5. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 4, said closed end of said
cap having a central opening and said tablet being disposed within
said opening with its first and second sides respectively exposed
outwardly and inwardly of the said cap.
6. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said permanent magnet
being in the form of a substantially circular flat tablet having
first and second sides substantially parallel to each other with a
North and a South pole on each of said sides, the North pole of
each one of said sides being disposed substantially on the same
line perpendicular to said sides as the South pole of the other one
of said sides.
Description
This invention relates to apparatus for the insertion of
intra-dermal needles in order to achieve semi-permanent
implants.
It is been demonstrated that the results obtained from such
implants could be greatly improved by using magnetizable needles.
Tests have also been made with previously magnetized needles. But
metallic needles can only form rather poor permanent magnets owing
to the proximity of their poles resulting from their small length.
Ferrites are known which permit the manufacture of good permanent
magnets with very close poles, but they do not lend themselves to
the manufacture of small intra-dermal needles which should in
practice be normally made of steel.
The West German Patent application No. 2,235,015 discloses the
application of a magnetic field at acupuncture points by means of
permanent magnets disposed close to these points. But these magnets
should be retained in position, as for instance by adhesive tapes,
and moreover this kind of treatment does not give as good results
as implanted magnetized needles.
It is an object of the present invention to avoid this
disadvantage.
In accordance with the invention, an apparatus for the insertion of
intra-dermal needles also includes a permanent magnet by means of
which the user may magnetize the implanted needle or maintain the
magnetization thereof during the whole time of the treatment.
In a first embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention,
the permanent magnet, taking the form of a circular tablet of
reduced diameter, is disposed at the end of the apparatus opposed
to the outlet through which the needle is introduced into the
tissues. The needle is therefore initially unmagnetized or
practically so. But once it has been implanted, the user may
magnetize it and maintain its magnetization. For this purpose he
reverses the apparatus and applies the circular tablet against the
tail of the needle while rotating the apparatus about its axis.
In another embodiment the apparatus again includes a magnetized
tablet, but the latter is disposed at the closed end of the
protecting cap of the apparatus, this cap being of such length that
the tablet is situated close to the tip of the needle retained in
the body of the apparatus and thus acts on the latter to magnetize
it and to maintain it magnetized until it is driven into the
tissues. The user may thereafter use the cap to apply the tablet
against the tail of the needle as with the first embodiment.
The tablet may be made of any appropriate material such as ferrites
used either alone or in combination with plastics or rubber.
In accordance with another characteristic of the invention the
circular tablet is so magnetized as to comprise on each of its
sides two poles quite close to each other, each pole on one side of
the table being disposed straight above or below a pole of opposed
polarity on the other side.
In the annexed drawings:
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a first embodiment of an
apparatus according to the invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates how this apparatus should be used.
FIG. 3 indicates the arrangement of the poles on both sides of the
magnetized tablet.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of another embodiment.
FIG. 5 shows how this embodiment may be used.
The apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is of generally well-known
type. It comprises an outer socket-shaped body 1 the closed end 1a
of which is joined to an axial pusher 2 which extends beyond the
open end of the said body, the end of the pusher supporting the
tail of a flat needle 3 of quite small dimensions. Slidably
disposed within this body 1 is a hollow cylindrical member 4 which
extends outwardly in the form of a tubular portion 5. This portion
surrounds the above-mentioned pusher 2 and it contracts the slotted
end thereof on the tail 3a of the needle 3 to retain the latter
within the apparatus. Portion 5 extends well beyond the needle and
it comprises a free end 5a of enlarged inner diameter in which the
slot 2a of the pusher may open to liberate the needle. In use this
free end 5a is applied to the tissue at the point where the needle
is to be introduced and the body 1 is pushed towards this point
together with pusher 2 which drives the needle into the tissues.
The apparatus may then be freely withdrawn since the slot 2a in
which the needle tail 3a was clamped is no longer contracted by the
zone of smaller inner diameter of portion 5.
In accordance with the invention the closed end 1a carries a small
magnetized circular tablet 6. In the example illustrated the end 1a
has for this purpose on its outer side a depression 1b in which the
tablet is retained by any appropriate means, as for instance by
being mounted as a force fit, or by an adhesive.
FIG. 2 shows how the apparatus of FIG. 1 should be used. Once the
needle is implanted in the tissues 7 with its tail 3a protruding
outwardly, the apparatus is reversed and the circular tablet 6 is
applied against the aforesaid tail 3a to magnetize the needle.
Experience demonstrates in this connection that the best results
are obtained by rotating the tablet in contact with the needle
tail.
Owing to the quite small dimensions of the needle, the
magnetization thus realized disappears progressively, even if the
needle is made of a steel of high remanence, but the magnetizing
operation may be repeated as often as required during the
treatment.
The circular tablet 6 may be made of any suitable material and more
particularly of ferrites to permit a relatively strong and
permanent magnetization in spite of the small distance between its
poles. In actual practice very good results have been obtained with
a rubber containing such ferrites in pulverulent form. The poles
may be disposed respectively in the center of one or the other side
of the tablet. It is however preferable to provide two poles on
each side, the North pole on one side being straight below or above
the South pole on the other side, as indicated by the letters N and
S in FIG. 3.
In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the apparatus comprises a protecting
cap 8 having a closed end 8a in which the magnetized tablet 6 is
inserted in such a manner that both its inner and outer sides are
exposed. The length of cap 8 is such that the said tablet is close
to the free end 5a of tubular portion 5 when the body is closed by
the cap. Moreover this end 5a is relatively short and the slotted
end of pusher 2 is situated close to this free end 5a as shown in
FIG. 4 in such a manner that the tip of needle 3 is at a very short
distance from the inner side of the circular tablet 6.
With such an arrangement the needle 3 is magnetized by tablet 6 and
this magnetization is maintained as long as the needle remains
enclosed in the apparatus. When it has been implanted in the
tissues, it may be re-magnetized as often as required by again
applying tablet 6 against the tail of the needle (FIG. 5) and by
rotating cap 8.
It will be understood that in the embodiment of FIG. 4 the inner
side of tablet 6 could be covered by a thin layer of plastics. In
other words the closed end 8a of cap 8 could be formed with a
depression to receive tablet 6 as in the case of FIG. 1, provided
the thickness of the bottom of this depression is relatively
slight.
* * * * *